Mexico City — Fire has destroyed the manufacturing plant of thermoplastic injection molder Industrias BM de México SA de CV in Ciudad Juárez, across the border from El Paso, Texas.
The fire started at 9:30 a.m. on April 2 and swept through the facility at a fast speed. Emergency services deployed 350 personnel, including 75 fire fighters, medical personnel and police officers at the scene.
It took 14 hours to bring the fire under control. No lives were lost.
BM de México is an affiliate of BM Industria Bergamasca Mobili, of Bagnatica, Italy. It has produced parts for the home appliances, consumer electronics and automotive sectors since 1998, according to its website.
The Juárez plant was equipped with an unstated number of injection molding machines, ranging in clamping force from 85-2,250 metric tons, the website stated.
There was no immediate word from the company in Italy about what BM's next step would be. However, local news media reported that the plant's 360 employees had been assured the company would relocate to another factory in the city.
Outside Italy and Mexico, BM has manufacturing operations in China, Poland and Brazil.
Its global clients include the Volkswagen AG and Automotive Lighting, a Germany-based, joint venture between Robert Bosch GmbH and Magnetti Marelli SpA.
Automotive Lighting has its own facility in Ciudad Juárez. It's unclear whether BM de México was working with it on any projects.